Vision changes are common, especially as we age.
Our eyesight isn’t static—it changes all throughout our lives. As infants, we see things best when they’re close to our faces, and we can’t distinguish colors until we’re a little older. Childhood might bring perfect vision, or it could be the first time we visit an optometrist (and the first time we put on a pair of glasses). In the same way, getting older can often mean the world gets a little harder to see, as our eyes start to show some normal wear and tear.
Vision changes are extremely common and usually harmless—but not always. In most cases, they’re a sign of normal aging, and can be managed easily with some simple adjustments. But it pays to know the difference between a situation that can wait until your next eye exam and one that needs urgent attention.
Below are a few of the signs that can point to your vision getting worse (and ones that could indicate an emergency). If you’re experiencing any symptoms of vision changes, it’s never too early to schedule an eye exam and learn more.
Be aware: Some sudden vision changes can signal a medical emergency.
Vision changes are a normal and expected part of life, but some changes—especially if they’re sudden—can be a sign of dangerous medical conditions that need urgent treatment. To minimize the risk of permanent damage to your vision, call a doctor right away if you notice:
- Pain in your eye
- Colored rings or “halos” around light sources
- Sudden loss of vision, even if it’s painless
- Redness or swelling in or around your eyes
- A sudden increase in “floaters” or “flashers:” dark spots or sparkles that float across your field of view
- A shadow or “veil” moving across your vision
Worsening vision shows up in a variety of ways.
There are lots of different ways your vision can get “worse,” and each of them could be a sign of multiple different conditions. If you notice that you’re having trouble seeing, it’s important to keep track of the details—even if it’s only a problem some of the time. The more detail you can give your care provider about the changes you’ve noticed, the better they can help you figure out what might be happening. Vision changes may be a normal part of aging, but that doesn’t mean there’s nothing you can do to manage them.
Here are a few of the most common symptoms and what they could mean.
1. Blurry vision
Blurry vision is usually what we think of first when we think of “worsening vision.” It’s an incredibly common symptom, and has a lot of possible causes:
- Normal vision changes. It’s common for refraction errors like nearsightedness or farsightedness to change as we age. As a result, your vision care provider can evaluate you for a new prescription and determine whether you need new eyewear.
- Presbyopia. Aging can also make it harder for the eyes to focus on things up close, which is called presbyopia. Reading glasses can help with this, as can bifocals or progressive lenses.
- Cataracts. Protein buildup in the lens of the eye causes the cloudiness associated with cataracts. Lifestyle changes, especially an eye-healthy diet and cutting out smoking, can slow the progress of cataracts. Ultimately, cataracts may require surgery to fix, but the treatment is very common and generally has a good success rate.
2. Blind spots
You might find that there are areas of your field of view that you can’t see anymore. It might happen in one eye or both, in the center of your vision, or around the edges. Blind spots could mean:
- Age-related macular degeneration (AMD). In this condition, the center of the retina—the light-sensitive membrane at the back of the eye—is damaged, causing the straight-ahead portion of your vision to grow blurry or dark.
- Glaucoma. This condition is related to increased pressure inside the eye, which can lead to nerve damage and vision loss. A key early symptom of glaucoma is blind spots around the edges of your vision.
- Diabetic retinopathy. Diabetes can cause the blood vessels in the retina to grow abnormally or leak, causing dark areas in your field of view.
3. Headaches
Our instinctive response to blurred or impaired vision is to try to focus harder. Often, we do that by squinting, which slightly changes the shape of the eyes. The small muscles that control eye direction and focus also work harder when our vision is impaired. All this extra effort can cause headaches, which are often one of the earliest signs of vision trouble.
Because headaches are a response to other vision symptoms that are already nonspecific, it’s difficult to determine what could be causing vision issues simply from headaches. If you start experiencing them, make sure to keep track of any other vision symptoms as well.
4. Night blindness
Some vision impairments are specific to certain times or conditions. Night blindness is a good example. You might have difficulty seeing in low light, and bright lights in the dark might look smeary or have fuzzy halos, which can make nighttime driving a challenge. At the same time, your vision during the day might be completely unchanged.
Night blindness can be a normal part of aging, as the eye’s lens gets more rigid and cloudier. But it can also be an early sign of more serious degenerative conditions like glaucoma, cataracts, or retinitis pigmentosa, a rare genetic condition that slowly damages the cells of the retina, causing gradual vision loss. Vitamin A deficiency can also cause trouble seeing at night—so be sure to eat your carrots!
Heritage has your back through all of life’s changes.
In the long term, health can be unpredictable. But whatever vision changes you may face, Heritage connects you with the care you need to manage them. Find one of our handpicked care providers in your area with our provider search tool or, if you’re not yet part of the Heritage family, learn more about our individual and family plans. Eye health is a lifelong process—schedule an exam today, and start off on the right foot.